CHAPTER

FORTYTHREE

GRAPHICS AND 2D GAMES PROGRAMMING USING RINGALLEGRO

In this chapter we will learn how to use the allegro game programming library in our Ring applications.
We have the file gamelib.ring that load the DLL library that contains wrappers for the Allegro functions
Load "allegro.rh"
Loadlib("ring_allegro.dll")

The file gamelib.ring uses the Load instruction to execute the file allegro.rh which is a ring source code file con-
tains constants to be used in our programs. Then using the function LoadLib() we can load the DLL library
ring_allegro.dll.
To write portable code we can change the gamelib.ring to check the platform before loading the DLL/So file.

43.1 Drawing, Animation and Input

The next example uses the Allegro library for drawing, moving objects on the screen and getting input from the
keyboard and the mouse.
Load "gamelib.ring"

al_init()
al_init_image_addon()

display = al_create_display(640,480)

al_show_native_message_box(display, "Hello", "Welcome",

"Using Allegro from the Ring programming language",
"", 0);

al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,255))

BOUNCER_SIZE = 40
bouncer_x = 10
bouncer_y = 20
bouncer = al_create_bitmap(BOUNCER_SIZE, BOUNCER_SIZE)
al_set_target_bitmap(bouncer)
al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(255,0,255))

for x = 1 to 30
bouncer_x += x
bouncer_y += x
al_set_target_bitmap(al_get_backbuffer(display))
al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,0))

310
 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

al_draw_bitmap(bouncer, bouncer_x, bouncer_y, 0)

al_draw_bitmap(bouncer, 200+bouncer_x,200+ bouncer_y, 0)
al_flip_display()
al_rest(0.1)
next

al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(255,255,255))
image = al_load_bitmap("man2.jpg")
al_draw_bitmap(image,200,200,0)
al_flip_display()
al_rest(2)

event_queue = al_create_event_queue()
al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_display_event_source(display))

ev = al_new_allegro_event()
timeout = al_new_allegro_timeout()
al_init_timeout(timeout, 0.06)

FPS = 60
timer = al_create_timer(1.0 / FPS)
al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_timer_event_source(timer))
al_start_timer(timer)
redraw = true

SCREEN_W = 640
SCREEN_H = 480
BOUNCER_SIZE = 32
bouncer_x = SCREEN_W / 2.0 - BOUNCER_SIZE / 2.0
bouncer_y = SCREEN_H / 2.0 - BOUNCER_SIZE / 2.0
bouncer_dx = -4.0
bouncer_dy = 4.0

al_install_mouse()
al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_mouse_event_source())

al_install_keyboard()
al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_keyboard_event_source())

KEY_UP = 1
KEY_DOWN = 2
KEY_LEFT = 3
KEY_RIGHT = 4
Key = [false,false,false,false]

while true
al_wait_for_event_until(event_queue, ev, timeout)
switch al_get_allegro_event_type(ev)
on ALLEGRO_EVENT_DISPLAY_CLOSE
exit
on ALLEGRO_EVENT_TIMER

# Animation
if bouncer_x < 0 or bouncer_x > SCREEN_W - BOUNCER_SIZE
bouncer_dx = -bouncer_dx
ok

if bouncer_y < 0 or bouncer_y > SCREEN_H - BOUNCER_SIZE

43.1. Drawing, Animation and Input 311

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

bouncer_dy = -bouncer_dy
ok

bouncer_x += bouncer_dx
bouncer_y += bouncer_dy

# Keyboard
if key[KEY_UP] and bouncer_y >= 4.0
bouncer_y -= 4.0
ok
if key[KEY_DOWN] and bouncer_y <= SCREEN_H - BOUNCER_SIZE - 4.0
bouncer_y += 4.0
ok
if key[KEY_LEFT] and bouncer_x >= 4.0
bouncer_x -= 4.0
ok
if key[KEY_RIGHT] and bouncer_x <= SCREEN_W - BOUNCER_SIZE - 4.0
bouncer_x += 4.0
ok

redraw = true

on ALLEGRO_EVENT_MOUSE_AXES
bouncer_x = al_get_allegro_event_mouse_x(ev)
bouncer_y = al_get_allegro_event_mouse_y(ev)
on ALLEGRO_EVENT_MOUSE_ENTER_DISPLAY
bouncer_x = al_get_allegro_event_mouse_x(ev)
bouncer_y = al_get_allegro_event_mouse_y(ev)
on ALLEGRO_EVENT_MOUSE_BUTTON_UP
exit
on ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN
switch al_get_allegro_event_keyboard_keycode(ev)
on ALLEGRO_KEY_UP
key[KEY_UP] = true
on ALLEGRO_KEY_DOWN
key[KEY_DOWN] = true
on ALLEGRO_KEY_LEFT
key[KEY_LEFT] = true
on ALLEGRO_KEY_RIGHT
key[KEY_RIGHT] = true
off
on ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_UP
switch al_get_allegro_event_keyboard_keycode(ev)
on ALLEGRO_KEY_UP
key[KEY_UP] = false
on ALLEGRO_KEY_DOWN
key[KEY_DOWN] = false
on ALLEGRO_KEY_LEFT
key[KEY_LEFT] = false
on ALLEGRO_KEY_RIGHT
key[KEY_RIGHT] = false
on ALLEGRO_KEY_ESCAPE
exit
off
off
if redraw and al_is_event_queue_empty(event_queue)
redraw = false
al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,0))

43.1. Drawing, Animation and Input 312

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

al_draw_bitmap(bouncer, bouncer_x, bouncer_y, 0)

al_flip_display()
ok
callgc()
end

al_destroy_timer(timer)
al_destroy_allegro_event(ev)
al_destroy_allegro_timeout(timeout)
al_destroy_event_queue(event_queue)
al_destroy_bitmap(bouncer)
al_destroy_bitmap(image)
al_destroy_display(display)

Note: In the previous example we used the function callgc() which is a Ring function to force calling the Garbage
collector inside the While/End loop.

Program Output:
At first the program display a messagebox

Then we see two rectangles are moving on the screen

43.1. Drawing, Animation and Input 313

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

Then we see an image displayed on the screen

43.1. Drawing, Animation and Input 314

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

Finally we have one rectangle, and we see it moving all of the time on the screen but we can control it using the Mouse
and/or the Keyborad

43.1. Drawing, Animation and Input 315

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

43.2 Using TrueType Fonts

In this example we will see how to use TrueType Fonts *.ttf in our Games using Allegro
Load "gamelib.ring"

al_init()
al_init_font_addon()
al_init_ttf_addon()

display = al_create_display(800,600)

al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,255))
font = al_load_ttf_font("pirulen.ttf",14,0 )
al_draw_text(font, al_map_rgb(255,255,255), 10, 10,ALLEGRO_ALIGN_LEFT,
"Welcome to the Ring programming language")
al_flip_display()
al_rest(2)

al_destroy_display(display)

Screen Shot:

43.2. Using TrueType Fonts 316

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

43.3 Playing Sound Files

The next example play a sound file

Load "gamelib.ring"

al_init()
al_install_audio()
al_init_acodec_addon()
al_reserve_samples(1)

sample = al_load_sample( "footstep.wav" )

sampleid = al_new_allegro_sample_id()
al_play_sample(sample, 1.0, 0.0,1.0,ALLEGRO_PLAYMODE_LOOP,sampleid)

display = al_create_display(640,480)
al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0,0,255))
al_flip_display()
al_rest(10)

al_destroy_allegro_sample_id(sampleid)

43.3. Playing Sound Files 317

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

al_destroy_sample(sample)
al_destroy_display(display)

al_exit()

43.4 Scaling and Rotating Images

The next example display and rotate an image

Load "gamelib.ring"

al_init()
al_init_image_addon()

display = al_create_display(640,480)
al_set_target_bitmap(al_get_backbuffer(display))
al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(255,255,255))

image = al_load_bitmap("man2.jpg")
al_draw_rotated_bitmap(image,0,0,250,250,150,0)
al_draw_scaled_bitmap(image,0,0,250,250,20,20,400,400,0)

al_flip_display()
al_rest(2)

al_destroy_bitmap(image)
al_destroy_display(display)

Screen Shot:

43.4. Scaling and Rotating Images 318

 Ring Documentation, Release 1.2

43.5 Display Transparent Image

The next example display image with white background on another image
Load "gamelib.ring"

al_init()
al_init_image_addon()

display = al_create_display(640,480)
imageback = al_load_bitmap("palace.jpg")
al_draw_bitmap(imageback,0,0,0)

image = al_load_bitmap("man4.png")
al_convert_mask_to_alpha(image,al_map_rgb(255,255,255))
al_draw_bitmap(image,0,0,0)
al_flip_display()
al_rest(10)

al_destroy_bitmap(image)
al_destroy_display(display)

43.5. Display Transparent Image 319